As more electronic devices include displays that present information, images, icons, text, GUI's, notifications, numerals, and the like, factors such as display size (e.g., length, width, thickness), display resolution (e.g., HD, pixel density, dots per inch—PPI, pixel per inch—PPI, etc.), and display application (e.g., smartphone, smart watch, tablet, PC, laptop, wearable device, HDTV, media device, etc.), may have an impact on cost, form factor, and type of display that may be used in any particular application. In a typical application, a specific display type is selected based on one or more of the above criteria. As an example, some conventional applications will select a backlit LCD type display, an organic light emitting diode display, a plasma display, or other display type. Regardless of the type of display selected, display costs is typically proportional to display size, display resolution or both, as the case may be for devices such as HDTV's, laptops, monitors, smartphones, digital image capture devices, digital media devices, gaming devices, tablets, pads, and a variety of wearable and/or portable electronic devices. In some applications it may be desirable to integrate a large display into a product, but costs associated with the larger display may make it economically impracticable for the intended application. For example, a high-resolution display having an active display area that is 6 inches long by 3 inches high and having a pixel density of 300 pixels per inch (PPI) will cost more than a low-resolution display having an active display area that is also 6 inches long by 3 inches high but having a pixel density of 150 PPI.
Ideally, it may be preferable to for a device to incorporate a large display that meets design goals for the device while at the same time keeping display cost within a design budget so that the device is commercially viable in a marketplace with competing products. Moreover, it may be desirable to make a tradeoff between display resolution and display size so that the size goal for the display is satisfied while the tradeoff in display resolution is minimized as much as possible.
Accordingly, there is a need for hybrid displays, methods and systems that provide larger display sizes and high display resolution.